Will board likes hospital plan

Edward Hospital facility still needs approval from state

Voting largely along party lines, the Will County Board on Thursday endorsed Naperville-based Edward Hospital's proposal to build a medical facility in Plainfield.

No Democrats supported the resolution, which passed on a 15-8 vote. Two Republicans also voted against the hospital's pitch and three board members, two of them Republicans, abstained.

Supporters argued that the proposed $218 million, 142-bed facility would reduce patient travel times and increase competitiveness among hospitals serving the area northwest of Joliet.

Board member Lee Ann Goodson (R-Plainfield) said the Edward plan is "proactive planning at its best," contrasting it with the board's recent 11th-hour decision to expand the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

In a special committee of the whole meeting before the scheduled meeting in Joliet, representatives from Edward argued that a Plainfield medical center would provide better access for current Edward Hospital patients. They also pledged that the hospital would not waver in its commitment to provide extensive charity services.

But Geoff Tryon, Silver Cross Hospital vice president of operations, warned the plan would allow Edward to cherry-pick affluent patients who otherwise would go to Silver Cross or Provena St. Joseph Medical Center, both in Joliet.

For the facility to be built, Edward must win approval from the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. It rejected a similar pitch in 2003, but the board's membership has changed since.

Brian Davis, Edward's vice president of marketing, termed Thursday's vote "very significant for the project. The planning board is looking for input from residents," he said, noting that opponents made their views known in the hearings three years ago.

Tryon, who spoke on behalf of hospitals opposed to the county's involvement, urged board members to stay out of what he said is a state issue.

But Joliet Republican John Gerl said a board member's responsibilities include commenting on issues affecting residents. He noted the board has weighed in on such major plans as the proposed airport near Peotone and expansion of Interstate Highways 55 and 355.

Mary Ann Gearhart Deutsche (R-Steger) countered that those examples involved projects that would receive funding from Will County while the hospital would not.

Board member John Anderson (D-Monee) lobbied to change the resolution's wording to support "significant access to quality health-care services for all Will County residents."

The board rejected that, voting to retain the initial wording specifically supporting "the efforts of Edward Hospital in its endeavor to provide health-care services by expanding its facility into the village of Plainfield."